Article-assembling apparatus



May 27, 1924. 1,495,610

M. PARIDON -ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS M. PARIDON May 27 1924.

ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed March 22 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PATT orifice. I

MICHAEL PARIDON, OF BARBERTON, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR TO THE-DIAMOND MATCH COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ARTICLE-ASSEMBLING APPARATUS.

Application led March 22, 1923. Serial No. 626,863.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, MICHAEL P ARIDON,.a citizen of the United States, and resident of larberton, -in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Article-Assembling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for assembling articles of generally rectangular form. such, for example, as boxes of matches, preparatory to wrapping them in packages` of predetermined size and form.I

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whereby the articles to be packaged are rapidly separated from a promiscuous pile and arranged in succeedin rows in proper position for manual remova and Wrapping by an attendant, or for delivery to the ceding mechanism of an automatic packaging machine.

The preferred embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, comprises an elongated trough structure having at one end thereof a receiving chamber or hopper into which boxes are promiscuously deposited, and having also parallel guide channels which underlie the said chamber and extend longitudinally of and beyond the same and are of suilicient width to permit the entry into the channels of the boxes with their wide faces only parallel to the walls of the channels, which walls are constructed of relatively movable and fixed partitions whereby the lowermost boxes of the p-ile are progressively separated therefrom and fed.

thence longitudinally of the channels and beyond the hopper. spective channels, exteriorly of the chamber, are a series of pendulous arms which intercept the upper ends of any upstandingboxes progressing in the channels and cause the boxes to turn and seat themselves upon their long narrow faces within the channels in such a manner that the succeeding boxes of each row pass end to end beneath the arms and are thus discharged from the respective channels in an orderly manner.

The invention also comprises features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a plan of a box assembling Overhanging the re` apparatus embodying my invention, showing boxes within the receiving chamber or hopper and the associated .positioning and guiding elements.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinally vertical section of the apparatus, as on the line 2-2 of Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse vertical sections, as on the lines 3- 3 and 4 4, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of Fig. 2, enlarged, showing the action of a pendulous arm on an upstanding box.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the guide-structure and adjacent arms, showing the latter as in contact With the tops of upstanding boxes.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one end of the reciprocative box-positioning frame.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a rectangular trou h-like structure comprising a bottom 11, sides 12 and ends 13. Extending longitudinally of the structure, from end to end thereof, are a series of partitions 14 which are secured to the bottom in spaced parallel relation to each other. Alternating with the partitions 14 are a series of longitudinally reciprocatve partitions 15 havingbase bars 16 which are slidably supported` on the bottom of the structure and are extended through openings in the respective ends of the latter. The two series of juxtaposed partitions constitute longitudinal box receiving and guiding channels, whereof each is of a width slightly greater than the narrow dimension of a match box, and of a depth slightly greaterthan the distance between the long narrow sides of the box. Hence boxes superposed on the partitions are permitted to enter the channels with the wide faces only of the boxes parallel tothe partitions. The bars 16 are connected at one end by a cross-bar 17 so as to constitute a unitary box positioning frame having capacity for longitudinal reciprocation in the bottom of the trough structure.

In the present instance the bar 17 is provided with a pair of vertically-slotted guide brackets 18 through which freely extends a crank 19 on a suitably-disposed shaft 20 which is rotated from any suit-A able source of power in a manner to effect, through the crank and bracket connections, the longitudinal reciprocatlon of the positioning frame. lny other suitable'mecha-v and are bodily' agitated by the reciproca-l tive action of the partitions. The lowermost boxes of the pile are thus shaken to and fro until'theyvare properly positioned to settle down into the underlying channels, with the wide faces only of the boxes parallel to the partitions; certain of 'the boxes being seated on their long narrow sides upon the base bars of the movable partitions and other boxes resting on their ends on the bars, as shown. As the boxes settle into the channels from the pile they are advanced along the latter toward, beneath and beyond the hop er wall 21 by the reciprocative action o the frame; the space between the bottom of the channels and the lower edge of the wall being such as to permit the free passage of the upstanding boxes.

'llhat end wall 13 of the trough structure adjacent the bar 17 of the box-positioning frame is provided with a series of spaceddepending pieces 13 that enter the respective channels and serve. as stops to revent the endwise withdrawal of boxes rom the channels during the forward strokes of the frame.

As a simple and ecient means whereby the upstanding boxes progressing along the channels are eliciently turned and seated on their long narrow sides, after the boxes pass from the hopper, (so as to ensure the end to end relation of the boxes of the row,) ll provide a series of pendulous gravity arms 23 which are adapted to intercept the tops of the boxes. 'lhese arms preferably. comprise curved strips of metal individually pivoted at their upper ends upon a cross-rod 2t that is lsuitably supported in the side walls ol 'the trough structure, the lower ends of the strips being weighted, as at 25, to maintain them normally depending-by (gravity above the respective channels an inthe path of the upstanding boxes. During the progress of each row of boxes toward the delivery end of its channel, by the rearward strokes of the positioning frame', the longitudinally-disposed boxes in the channel pass freely below the overhan `ng arm, but the upper end of any upstanding box inthe row impinges against the opposing underside of the arm and is alledem thus temporarily retarded in such a manner that in the succeeding return or forward stroke of the fra-me the lower end of the box is carried vtherewithwhile the upper end of thebox swings the opposing arm rearward, until the box escapes the arm whereupon .such box dropping, is imposed with its long narrow'side upon the base of the channel, the return movement of the arm in'conjunction with the vibration yof tot the frame, contributing to the descent pf the tilted box.

lhe'y trough structure is provided with a transverse wall 26 located .rearwardly ol* and adjacent to the arms 23`so as to present an abutment which limits the backward throw of the lower ends ofthe arms when they are engaged by the boxes, as seen in Fig. 5. rl`his wall extends tothe top of the partitions, and is preferably! provided with comb-like projections 27 which enter" the respective channels suiliciently to obstruct the passage of anyboxes that are not correctly seated in and disposed longitudinally of said channels. Since thesey arms are independently operable upon the upstanding boxes of the respectivefrows, a uniform arrangement of the boxes, end to end, in each row is ensured. Consequently when the leading boxes of the respective rows are pro elled to and throu h the dischar 'n en of the structure t ey are locate sie by side upon a, suitable table 28 and in convenient position for removal.

ln the present instance .the structure l0 is represented as provided with twelve lll@ juxtaposed box receivin and guiding channelsq and hence' in eac advancing stroke of the positioning frame twelve boxes are discharged upon the table, which boxes may be manually removed b wrapped, or, if desire they may be delivered to an automatic packaging machina-a.V

'lhe trough structure is shown herein in horizontal position, but it can be downwardly inclined from its receiving to its discharging end, if desired. Moreover, while the apparatus has been designed for assembling7 match boxes, it can be eciently used for assembling other objects of generally rectangular form. n

'llt is to be understood that ll do not limit my invention to the particular construction herein disclosed, as the same may be modied within the principle of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

l. Vlln an article assembling apparatus, the combination of a trough structure having a series of longitudinally-extending article receiving and guiding channels in the bottom thereof, means for feeding articles along said channels, and a series of independent pendulous membersoverhanging the respective channels in a plane between the ends of the an attendant and v lil@ structure so as to be engaged by the tops of upstanding progressing articles in the channels.

2. In an article assembling apparatus, the combination of a trough structure having a series of longitudinally-extending article receiving and guiding channels underlying the hopper portion and extending beyond the Same, means for feeding articles along said channels from and beyond the hopper portion, and independent pendulous members overhanging the respective channels beyond the hopper so as to be engaged by upstanding progressing articles in the channels.

3. In an article assembling apparatus, the combination of a trough structure having a hopper portion at one end thereof, and a series of longitudinally-extending article receiving and guiding channels underlying said hopper portion and extending beyond the same, means for feeding the articles along said channels from and beyond the hopper, and curved gravity arms pivoted to overhang the respective channels beyond the hopper and in the path of upstanding progressing articles inthe channels.

4. In an article assembling apparatus, the

combination of a trough structure having a series of longitudinally-extending partitions constituting article receiving and guiding channels, the alternate partitions being longitudinally reciprocable to advance the articles along the channels, and a series of independent pendulous arms overhanging the respective channels so as to be engaged by the tops of upstanding progressing articles in the channels.

5. In an article assembling apparatus, the combination of a trough structure having a hopper portion at one end thereof, and having also a series of longitudinally lextending partitions constituting article receiving and' guiding channels, the alternate partitions being longitudinally reciprocable to advance the articles along said channels from and beyond the hopper portion, and a series of independent pendulous arms overhanging the respective channels so as to be engaged by the tops of upstanding progressing articles in the channels.

Signed at Barberton, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, this 20th day of March, A. D. 1923.

MICHAEL PARIDON. 

